Imagine attending a luau on Waikiki Beach; golfing in the shadows of the Magic Kingdom; sightseeing a seventh-century city in The Land of the Morning Calm; sunbathing beneath a famous lighthouse on the Atlantic; or skiing or hiking in the Bavarian Alps.

Full story.

There’s more pocket money for service members and their families when they shop consistently in the commissary – nearly $3,400 in fact for a family of four

Full story.

Military OneSource is offering free tax preparation and filing services.  Visit their website at http://www.militaryonesource.com to file your federal and state taxes. 

Full story.

The National Guard is working to assist spouses and family members with the cost of child care during deployment.  Guard and Reserve members who are in Title 10 status are eligible to receive a subsidy to use off-post child care.  The subsidy program is coordinated through the National Association of Child Care Resource and Referral Agencies (NACCRRA).  The amount of the subsidy is based on total family income, the number of children and type of child care needed.  The minimum monthly pay out is $100 per child per month.  A call center has also been set up to help Guardmembers navigate the paperwork and process of receiving the subsidy.  For more information on the program visit the National Guard Family Program’s website at http://www.guardfamily.org or call 1-888-642-2799. Full story.

[Read More...]

The Defense Finance and Accounting Service (DFAS) has posted the following schedule for issuing members' tax statements for the 2008 tax year. The first date indicates when statements will be accessible on line through myPay. The second date indicates when they will be mailed out to those who have not registered for on-line access.
•    Retiree Annual Statement: Dec. 10 (myPay) or Dec. 16-22 (U.S. mail)
•    Retiree 1099R: Dec. 22 (myPay) or Dec. 16-22 (U.S. mail)
•    Annuitant Account Statement: Dec. 15 (myPay) or Dec. 22-24 (U.S. mail)
•    Annuitant 1099R: Dec. 15 (myPay) or Dec. 22-24 (U.S. mail)
•    VSI/SSB W-2: Jan. 2 (only available through U.S. mail)
•    Active Duty Army, Navy, Air Force W-2: Jan. 22 (myPay) or Jan. 23-29 (U.S. mail)
•    Reserve Army, Navy, Air Force W-2: Jan. 2 (myPay) or Jan. 5-8 (U.S. mail)
Retirees who don't have access to myPay and have requested a hardcopy of a Retired Account Statement and a 1099R will be sent a combined mailing in late December or early January. Annuitants will receive a combined mailing of both the Annuity Account Statement and the 1099R.
If you don't receive your statement(s) by January 15, 2009, you have several options:
1.    Access the myPay system and adjust your account
2.    Request a 1099R through DFAS' Interactive Voice Response System (1-888-332-7366)
3.    Contact DFAS Customer Service Center at 1-800-321-1080 Additional information can be found on the DFAS Web Site. Full story.

[Read More...]